the power of LOVE
by Stars In Tokyo
Summary: [post DH] “Ginny,” Harry began slowly, “I can’t go back.” “Back to what?” “Back to the way I used to be.”
1. keep trying

Harry Potter skipped a stone across the lake. It bounced off the surface of the water twice before landing with a satisfying plunk, sinking into depths. Harry sat beneath a familiar beech tree that grew right beside the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He gazed up at the school. It was now in shambles: towers crumbling down, walls in ruins, Dumbledore's tomb split in half.

Harry suddenly thought back to when he first met Hagrid. The Dursley's had taken him to a little shack on an island in an attempt to escape the owls that kept delivering Harry's letter for Hogwarts. Hagrid broke down the door and in that moment, Harry's life was changed forever. He could not look back.

Now Hogwarts was falling apart before his eyes. The first place he had ever truly called home was nearly leveled to the ground because of him. If only Harry had figured out that Dumbledore had the Elder Wand, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Hogwarts would still be full of students preparing for final exams and packing for summer vacation. Instead it was filled with the injured and the dead. Funerals were being planned as he sat beside the lake. Everything was wrong. Harry felt the tears welling up in his eyes, clouding his vision.

"Harry?" said a soft voice. He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts, he did not even hear Ginny Weasley approach him, "You're still weak, you shouldn't be out here alone."

Harry did not respond. The war had only ended the night before, but his physical wounds were all ready healing nicely. He did not look up at Ginny, but kept his gaze straight ahead at the dilapidated castle. She crouched down beside him.

"Harry, we can help rebuild Hogwarts," Ginny said reassuringly, "We can make things right again."

"Ginny," Harry began slowly, "I can't go back."

"Back to what?"

"Back to the way I used to be," he replied, "I'm not the same person I was yesterday." He stared at the ground between his feet; for some reason, it did not feel stable enough. He fought the urge to cry.

"Harry, in time-"

"Ginny," Harry interjected angrily, "Not everything can be healed with time!"

She opened her mouth in protest, but stopped herself. She could not argue with Harry, not at a time like this. Ginny wrapped her arm around him and gently pulled him close. He buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed in complete silence. She, in turn, rested her head on his, feeling his messy, jet-black hair tickle her face.

Harry began to sob uncontrollably. The tears flowed freely as he sharply inhaled for air that his body desperately needed. He grieved for many in those few moments: Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Colin Creevy, Dobby, Mad-Eye, Hedwig, Dumbledore, Sirius, his parents, and he even shed a tear for Snape, whom he despised wholeheartedly.

Ginny just sat there and held him, under the beech tree, down by the lake. Harry needed her right now; a small smile crept onto her face as she realized she was the only one who could help Harry right now. He would not cry like this in front of anyone else, not even Ron or Hermoine. He had needed this moment for a long time.

Harry dried his eyes with the sleeve of his robe and looked up at her, his brilliant green eyes shining. She blushed at being stared at so intently. In one sudden movement, Harry reached out and grabbed Ginny's hand, holding it tightly. With their fingers intertwined, he held their hands up at eye level.

He finally felt something solid within his reach.


	2. exotic animal paradise

The summer sun shone brilliantly over the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The previous night's events had caused debris to be strewn about the castle grounds, holes blasted through stone walls, and people to die. Less than twenty-four hours later, the weather was beautiful; it was as if the storm had never occurred. But the bodies lined up in the Great Hall spoke otherwise.

Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger sat together on one of Hogwarts' many sloping lawns, gazing down toward the Forbidden Forest. They had their backs facing the school, in an attempt to temporarily escape the mass destruction that was now Hogwarts. Ron shaded his eyes from the sun as he stared up into the sky.

"Hey, Hermoine?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think it will ever go back to the way it used to be?"

Hermoine knew exactly what Ron spoke of, but she sat in silence, as she hugged her knees close to her chest. She always had all of the answers. But now the future seemed so uncertain, and for the first time, Hermoine did not know the solution to Ron's question.

She watched as a gentle breeze caused the grass to sway like waves in the ocean. Ron's gaze was still affixed toward the Heavens, as if he were searching for a sign, an answer, something. The silence seemed to push them further apart, but what was there to say? Who could find the words to express what occurred during the Battle of Hogwarts? There are few occasions where words become useless. War is one of them.

"Hermoine, look," Ron broke the silence and plucked something from the ground. He held it out for her to see.

"A dandelion clock," she stated softly.

"Here," he said, "You can have it. It must be the only one left after everything…" his voice trailed off.

Hermoine reached out for the plant that Ron was now giving to her. She took it with a gentle hand, her fingers grazing his. She examined the fluffy, white globe that contained the seeds of new life. Hermoine touched the filaments; they felt as fragile as they looked. She stared at the flower with a furrowed brow.

"Well?" Ron asked, looking at her curiously. Hermoine was so fascinated by the dandelion, that his voice surprised her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"You look as though you've never seen a weed before!" Ron laughed.

"I've seen them, but I've never really looked at one so carefully. It's beautiful," she mused aloud.

"You're beau-"

Ron clapped his hand over his mouth as Hermoine stared at him, eyes wide. He quickly averted her gaze, and once again looked up at the sky, all the while watching her from the corner of his eye. She saw as Ron's face began to flush a deep scarlet. It was true.

She grasped the dandelion in her hand and jumped up; her quick motion startled the first boy to ever call her beautiful.

"Hermoine, where are you-"

"I'm making a wish," she replied quickly as she drew in a deep breath and exhaled, releasing the seeds into the breeze.

Ron stood next to Hermoine as they both watched as the seeds float away into the sky. Not only did the seeds bear the chance of a new flower, but they also bore the chance of a new beginning.

They stood in amidst the muted landscape, even after the seeds had disappeared into the distance. In those long minutes, they were the only two people in the entire world. Time and space had no meaning. But they had to face the sorrow and pain again; they could not always live in a fantasy, they both knew it. As the sun began to set, Ron broke the silence once more.

"Hey, Hermoine?"

"Yes?"

"I think we're going to be okay."

"Ron," Hermoine said softly, "You figured it out before me." She smiled up at him, and he immediately began to blush again. Hermoine reached over and grasped Ron's hand in her own and held it tightly; he returned the gesture. And they quietly moved forward, not knowing exactly where they were headed but they were together.

Neither of them knew what to say; Ron and Hermoine did not have the words. Words were empty.


	3. shards of hope

The sun was setting over Hogwarts and dusk started to settle in. One by one, the stars began to appear in the sky, just as they had done every night since the beginning of time. The crickets were chirping and fireflies were floating about, their abdomens blinking as they glided through the hot summer's air. The moon and stars illuminated what was left of the school. No amount of magic could heal these wounds.

Harry and Ginny were still right underneath the beech tree, gazing up at Hogwarts. Most of the day had been spent in silence. What could they possibly say? So they sat, staring at the school that had changed their lives forever.

Two figures suddenly came into view from the darkness that now engulfed them: Ron and Hermoine. Even from a distance, Harry could tell that they were tightly grasping each other's hands. He glanced over at Ginny and noticed a grin creeping up on her face. They knew that it would happen someday: Ron and Hermione would find each other. Without a word, the two walked over and sat beside them.

"Hey, Harry?" Ron asked suddenly.

"Yeah, Ron?" Harry was almost surprised by the sound of his voice, as if he had not heard it in a long time.

"I think we'll be okay," Ron replied, "even if we can't bring everything back to the way it used to be; we're going to be okay." His grip on Hermoine's hand tightened.

"Some things can't be healed with time, Ron." Ginny said solemnly, echoing Harry's own words from a few hours ago.

"I know," Ron responded, "But we should at least try, right?" He glanced around from Ginny to Hermione and then Harry. His words helped restore some of the little amount hope Harry had left. They were silent again.

"Hey," Harry said softly, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Through all of the loss, some things still remained. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were all here. They had fought for the freedom of the wizarding world and had won. The war was over and they had won.

"We should go back inside," Hermione said, while slipping what looked like the stem of a plant in her robes.

"What was that?" Harry asked her.

"Oh, that? It's only …a weed." She answered and smiled at Ron.

They all stood and walked back toward the castle. Hogwarts had seen devastation beyond repair. But they had survived. It would never go back to the way it used to be, but they still had shards of hope in their hands.


End file.
